Federal 100: Nicole Seligman

Cyber skills chancellor. Seligman believes the government must set high standards in the sophisticated field of cybersecurity. So when agencies realized they needed more skilled employees to keep up with government demands, she suggested looking for talent where those skills are taught. Specifically, she recommended that the innovative Cyber Skills Task Force of the Homeland Security Advisory Council tap promising students at community colleges, an idea that has caught on. A pilot project is under way in New Jersey to hold a competition for budding cybersecurity professionals by offering winners hands-on experience, with projects planned in several other states in 2013.